Terminal clip



g- 4, 1942- M. ALDEN 2,291,674

TERMINAL CLIP Filed Sept. 5, 19 40 BY y TRNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT orrici':

TERMINAL CLIP Milton Alden, Brockton, Mass. Application September 3,1940, Serial No. 355,121

1 Glaim. (Cl. 113-269) This invention relates to terminal clips adaptedto receive and make electrical'contact with wire terminals and the like.This invention embodies certain features of the device shown in mycopending application Serial No. 300,925, filed October 24, 1939, ofwhich it is a continuation in part.

One object is to provide a connector clip for effective engagement withthe terminal of a wire conductor of the type set forth in said copendingapplication.

A further object is to provide in a terminal clip of the type described,means for exerting pressure upon a wire terminal from a plurality ofdirections at the same time so that rattling. of the terminal in theclip may be prevented.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clip into which a wireterminal provided with a washer may easily be inserted and from whichsuch wire terminal may easily be extracted when so desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a terminal. clip whichcan make contact directly with the wire itself, which latter enters theterminal while at the same time contact is made with the terminal whichis fastened upon the wire, so that both electrical and mechanicalcontacts to the wire may be made in a way which will assure minimumresistance and maximum precaution against accidental poor connectionbeing made, even though the electrical connection of the wire with thebody of the terminal be poor.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of this invention showing theclip attached to the wire terminal.

Fig. 2 shows, partly in section, the structure of Fig- 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clip only.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a wire terminal adapted to receive the clip ofFigs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 shows one possible arrangement of a plurality of terminals upon asingle strip of insulation, in keyed relation to each other forreceiving clips which may be similarly keyed on a support.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of wire terminal.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a special application ofone form of clip of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the clip of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawing, the clip body In is in the shape of amodified fork, having a head H for the attachment of a conductor. Thisfork may have an opening l2. Two resilient fingers or arms l3, l3 of thefork lie in the same plane as the body 10, and each is provided with acurved jaw portion It for engagement with the side wall l5 of a'wireterminal, and also with a bevelled surface l6 for promoting the readyentrance of such terminal within the clip body.,

The center finger or tine I! of the fork is offset from the plane inwhich the other tines lie and is bowed out for greater springiness,while at It! it again approaches the plane of the body proper so that itmay contact the end surface 19 of the wire terminal to which it isapplied.

The preferred wire terminal is more fully described in my 'copendingapplication above referred to, and consists of a metal shell 20preferably crimped, turned in, or contracted upon the insulation 2| of awire, and provided with two circular ridges or flanges l5 and 22. Awasher 24 of any suitable material such as insulation may be provided asshown in Fig. 2, lying between the flanges l5 and 22 and which may serveto guide the terminal into position and aid in forcing it to the verybottom of the pocket in the fork. Likewise this washer is of assistancein facilitating the removal of the terminal from the clip, as it extendsbeyond the sides of the fork and may, as shown in Fig. 6, be formed withears 30, 30 still further to facilitate withdrawal of the terminal fromits seat in the clip.

The terminals such as shown in Fig. 4 frequently have the bare ends 25of the strands of the conductor extend beyond the end surface of theterminal and they afford an especially good electrical contact with thecenter finger of the clip. When the ends of the strands are soldered inplace, the spot of solder may constitute the contact part of the end ofthe terminal, or the wire ends may project through the solder and makedirect connection with prong H. In any case it may be seen that themiddle prong will press directly upon the end of a conducting part ofthe terminal wire, so that current flow will not be compelled to passthrough the intermediary of the part l5, but can pass directly from clipto wire.

It is possible to arrange several of these wire terminals upon a singleinsulating support 21 as shown in Fig. 5, which may conveniently beprovided with cars 28, 28 so as to serve as a handle in separating theclips from the terminals. Such a clip may be used in an electronicswitch socket such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Here the clip is connectedto the end of the conductor 3| and mounted in an insulating body 32 insuch'a way as to permit the clip to turn somewhat about the axis of theconductor. The'clip is provided with up-- turned lips or flanges 33adapted to receive the tip 34 of a prong beneath the center finger 35.In

devices of this type the prong is frequently inserted into an arcuateslot 36 and turned about an axis of the body until the prong engages theclip. By permitting the clip to turn on its axis the prong is assured ofa. more perfect contact. It will be noted that in this case the tip ofthe finger 35 touches the wall 31 of the cover of the body so that whenthe prong 34 is inserted the finger is placed under additional pressurewhich thus furnishes a more perfect connection mechanically andelectrically.

Other purposes and uses of my invention will be apparent to thoseskilledin the art and I do not limit myself to the exact forms here shown.

I claim:

A terminal clip construction comprising an in- I sulating body, a clipsupported thereinand having two spaced fingers and a central finger oi!resilient material biased toward the space between the two spacedfingers and having a portion thereof displaced so as to lie in aplanefarther removed from the plane of the two spaced fingers than the planein which the contact making portion of the central finger lies, anddiscrete relatively unyielding means against which said displacedportion of the central finger will be resiliently forced when a prong isslid between the two spaced fingers whereby additional pressure isresiliently exerted tending to force the central finger against saidinserted prong.-

MILTON ALDEN.

